University IT
Accessibility Design Personas
A guide to designing and creating inclusive digital content with greater usability for individuals with disabilities
Design personas are fictional characters that help content authors and designers understand end-users’ needs.
The Office for Digital Accessibility created the following inclusive design personas highlighting accessibility practices. The characters are organized by needs instead of focusing on their disabilities, representing a spectrum of disabilities and permanent or situational impairments.
These examples can be implemented into the design process for greater usability for individuals with disabilities.
Design Personas
Before viewing the design personas, it's important to understand the following:
Personas are
- Representative users based on patterns of behaviors and needs
- Specific portraits to give a clear image and inspire good design
Personas are not
- Audience segments
- Comprehensive list of all user types
- Real individuals with complete nuance in their experience and history
Below are the persona examples that represent users with different disabilities or needs and recommendations for how to test your content based on those needs.
